Detective Party Games

By Denise Brandenberg ; Updated April 12, 2017

Creating a theme for your party can make the gathering more interesting and fun. One popular party theme is the detective party, which can be used at both children and adult parties. If you are throwing this type of theme party, there are many different types of games you can play.

Detective Memory

The detective memory game can be played at children's or adult parties. The host simply shows a movie clip or brings out a covered tray of items and shows it to all the guests for a set time period. The guests then answer questions about what they saw, and the winner is the person who is able to answer the most questions correctly or who can list the most items. If you use a movie clip, questions may include, “What color shirt was the taxi driver wearing?” or “How many times did the main character say (specific word)?” If you use a covered tray for the game, include things such as a camera, notepad and other detective-themed items.

Detective Senses

For the detective senses game, you only need a big cardboard box with two holes cut out in the side, along with your “guessing items,” according to Coolest Kid Birthday Parties. Put items such as spaghetti noodles, Jello, a feather and a sponge to the box. Players reach into the box and feel the items without looking at them. The winner is the person who is able to identify the most number of items in the box.

Disguise Relay

The disguise relay game gets party guests moving around and active, and children or adults can play it. Divide the party attendees into teams of five people or more. Provide each team a suitcase filled with disguise items, such as a trench coat or raincoat, wig, hat, glasses, fake mustache and other clothing pieces. Instruct the teams to line up and when they hear “go,” the first player on the team must put on all the suitcase items, run to a pre-determined finish line at the other side of the room (or across the yard), and return. The next player in line repeats the same actions. All team members must complete the task, and the winner is the team who does it first.

Mystery Games

Mystery or clue games are very common at detective-themed parties, and there are several types to choose from. The winking game is a simple version. All party guests sit in a circle and close their eyes. The host walks around the circle and taps one person’s shoulders, and this person is now the criminal. The rest of the guests are the detectives. The participants make eye contact with each other, and try to guess who the criminal is. If the criminal winks at someone, the host taps that person on the shoulder and he must fake die. If a person guesses the criminal incorrectly, he must fake die. The winner is the person who correctly identifies the criminal first.

Another standard game is the murder mystery game that is organized beforehand and uses a set of clues and characters. The party guests must follow the set of clues to determine who the killer is. This type of game can last for several hours.

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About the Author

Denise Brandenberg has more than 15 years professional experience as a marketing copywriter, with a focus in public relations. She also worked as a recruiter for many years and is a certified resume writer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English.